Same-Sex Marriages Can Resume in California, Court Rules

Mario Tama/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A federal court in California has cleared the way for same-sex couples to begin receiving marriage licenses in California.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said Friday that the stay -- preventing gay marriages in California -- is "dissolved, effective immediately."

California Attorney General Kamala Harris tweeted she's off to San Francisco's city hall. "Let the wedding bells ring!" she wrote.

In a formal statement, Harris wrote: “I am thrilled that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted its stay to allow same-sex couples to legally marry in California. Gay and lesbian couples have waited so long for this day and for their fundamental right to marry. Finally, their loving relationships are as legitimate and legal as any other.”